Next Man Up
by TwilightSparkle3562
Summary: In this follow up to "After the Date," Ron takes Kim out for a dressy dinner and Kim wonders if she and Ron have a future together.


Disclaimer: I do not own "Kim Possible," or its characters. They are property of the Walt Disney Company and its affiliates.

"Next Man Up"

By TwilightSparkle3562

It had only been a few days since I had my awkward date with Josh Mankey, the night that I almost disappeared whenever I would get embarrassed. Ron had read my text and now I was in my room getting ready for a nice date with him at a really nice steakhouse in Boston, Ruth Chris' to be exact. I had my sleeveless blue dress that I wore with Josh cleaned of the soda stain and my dark stockings were washed of the sweat from the previous date.

"Let's just hope tonight goes more smoothly than the previous night," I said to myself as I finished putting on my makeup and fixing my hair. "It's a date with Ron, so who knows what will happen."

Sliding on my black dress sandals, I make my way downstairs where my parents were downstairs, on the couch watching television.

"You look pretty, Kimmie," remarked my mother, Anne as I sat down next to them. "Going out for a nice dinner with Ronald?"

"Down in Boston," I replied, nervously fidgeting with a lock of my hair. "Somehow, he wants us to head to Boston for a dinner at Ruth Chris Steakhouse. It's really expensive."

"Perhaps Ronald wants to go the extra mile," said my father, James. "But, I can't help but wonder that you look nervous about something."

Like every parent, I could tell that my father was wondering something that was blossoming between me and Ron. Almost as if he was already suspecting that Ron and I were destined to have a future together.

"It's just that I think that…" I started to say, but couldn't finish the sentence. "I just think that Josh and I just don't have a future together. I don't know if he is thinking the same thing, but our date a few nights ago may have been an indication of it."

Both my parents gave each other a surprised glare at each other, always believing that I was to one day be Mrs. Joshua Wendell Mankey. However, they had no idea of my new revelations and thoughts about Josh. They just assumed that I was just under a lot of stress from school and such.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Kimmie Cub," said Anne, taking a sip of soda. "A dressy night out with your best friend will do you good and maybe tomorrow will open a new set of opportunities for you."

"Yes," added James. "In fact, why don't we extend your curfew to 11:00 tonight? Since it looks to be like a special night out."

Suddenly, I hear the doorbell and much like before with Josh, I leap over the couch and run to the door. Fortunately, the tweebs aren't here to beat me to the punch. Opening the door, I see Ron standing in front of me wearing a nice light blue dress shirt and a red and blue striped tie with a pair of ironed khaki pants, holding a bouquet of roses in his hands.

"Hey, Kim," he said, handing me the roses. "Thought I get these for you since we are going to the mat tonight."

"Oh, Ron," I replied happily as I received the roses. "You didn't have to do that. I thought we are going just as friends, aren't we?"

"We are, KP," he said, bending out his elbow to escort me out of my house. "I got a limo waiting for us. Shall we go?"

Looking back to my parents, I smiled nervously as Ron led me to a waiting limousine that was down at the end of the driveway. As we walked down, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe this was the beginning of something, something that was going to change how I viewed my relationship with this guy. However, my thoughts were soon dashed when I saw who was driving the limo.

"Mr. Barkin?" I gasped, shocked to see my school's jack of all trades teacher as a limo driver. "Since when do you…?" 

"On weekends and during vacations, Possible," replied Mr. Barkin. "It helps with the rent and besides, I'm doing Stoppable a favor since I allowed him to skip detention for being late."

Ron chuckled as we headed into the limo and began the 15 minute drive down to Downtown Boston. Upon entering our home city, it took us a few minutes to find Ruth Chris Steakhouse and we soon arrived at the location.

"All right, you two," said Mr. Barkin as he let us out of the limo. "Remember to behave yourselves in there and if I catch any inappropriate action, Stoppable, its detention for you and Possible here."

"Don't worry, Mr. B," chuckled Ron, waiving his hand off at our teacher. "The essential Ronness will keep things PG rated if he has anything to say about it. Shall we, my lady?"

"Why, of course," I giggled as Ron led me into the restaurant while Mr. Barkin watched with an eagle eye on our actions.

Entering into the restaurant, Ron and I were led to a table overlooking Boston Harbor and nearby Logan Airport. It was a really nice atmosphere to have just a friendly, casual conversation with your best friend. And to be honest, going out to nice restaurants was probably another sign of things to come.

"You know, Ron," I said as I took some lipstick out of my purse. "You really didn't have to do this. Do you know how much it is to eat here?"

"Hey, when you have an old man with a strong paying job," Ron replied, referring to his father. "Might as well take advantage of it. Besides, after what happened with Josh, you deserve a night out where you can spend time with me, looking pretty as you do tonight."

I couldn't help but blush at Ron's ongoing remarks to how I looked. Again, this was my favorite dress to wear on nights such as this and something else I noticed about my date with Josh: he never complemented on how I looked in front of him. I wore this exact dress for him and he never said anything to me.

"Well, thanks for all your compliments, Ron," I said. "When I was out with Josh, he never even complimented on how I looked and that was just the beginning."

"Heck, I don't even want to know what else he had in mind," retorted Ron. "Trust me, Kim, he may be a rock star in our school, but he is not for you. There are plenty of guys out there who have the opportunity to have you as their girlfriend."

"Believe me, Ron," I said as our drinks were served to us. "I have had quite a few flings as you know, like Will Du, for example."

I was, of course, referring to the highest ranking agent in Global Justice that I briefly had a crush on. However, he was just another fish in the sea that just wasn't for me.

"Well, what I am saying, KP," explained Ron. "Is that Josh just isn't the guy for you. Sure, you have had your feelings for him, but…I mean…you know how I feel about him. Although, I can't help but wonder if…"

"If what?" I asked, curiously.

"If I don't know…" stuttered Ron, trying to find the words to say. "If we have a….future together?"

I had to really think hard about what Ron had just said at that moment. Sure, we were only teenagers, but we were at the age of romance and that we had been friends for such a long time now, since pre-school, to tell you the truth. Why is he saying this? Is he trying to make a pass at me? What should I do?

"We might," I finally said, taking in a deep breath while closing my eyes. "But, can we just take this one step at a time? I mean, yes, we do have a future together…maybe. But, I have to tell Josh that I am dumping him and that is not going to be easy for me."

"You know, I heard that he was thinking the same way about you," remarked Ron, much to my surprise. In my eyes, I thought that he was spying on Josh and I knew very well that Ron disliked Josh a lot. "And I really did hear about it in passing, Kim, before you say anything. He thinks that you are…awkward."

I didn't know whether to run to a bathroom and cry my eyes out or just sit there and stare at Ron. If Josh wanted to tell me that he thought I was awkward, then he should have told me himself. It was at this point that something needed to be done. Josh needed to know that our relationship was over.

"Well," I finally said after a long silence, my voice filled with disgust. "Then, that is it. I go out on dates with this guy and he tells me that I am awkward? Boy, is he gonna get it when we return to school on Monday."

Ron didn't want me to blow a fuse in such a public place and saw that the dance floor was going to be opening up very shortly. He could see that maybe waltzing on the dance floor was a sure way of getting my mind off of Josh. After we each had a dinner of Filet Mignons, the time had come for Ron to make his first pass at me.

"Kim," said Ron, extending his hand out to me and talking in a romantic voice. "Why don't I help get Josh out of your mind with a little boogie woogie?"

I couldn't help but smile at how Ron was acting in front of me. I was beginning to now see that he and I were indeed going to have a future together, just by the way he was acting. He listened to what I had to say and that he was the one who offered the best solution, which was to take my mind off Josh by treating me like a girlfriend.

"Or if formal terms," corrected Ron. "May I have this dance, my lady?"

"You certainly may," I replied as Ron led me on the dance floor and as we waltzed on the dance floor, I felt my anxieties and anger about Josh leave my mind. It was at this point that I knew Ron and I had a future. He was doing things that Josh never did for me: he complimented my looks and took me out for a dressy evening of dinner and dancing.

Soon, the night came to an end and we were back in the limo heading back to our neighborhood, glad to know that this date ended much better than the last one that I had.

As of this evening, Josh Mankey was out and Ron Stoppable was in as my boyfriend and whom I would spend the rest of my natural life with.


End file.
